Explore the Family Name Farrow
The meaning of Farrow
English (northern): hypercorrected form of Farrar, an occupational name for a smith or worker in iron. The original -ar or -er ending of this name came to be regarded as an error, and was changed to -ow.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Farrow in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Farrow has seen minor fluctuations between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Farrow was ranked as the 3,196th most popular surname, but by 2010 it had slipped slightly to 3,353rd, a decrease of 4.91%. However, the actual count of people bearing the surname increased over the same period from approximately 10,282 to 10,672, an increase of 3.79%. The proportion of people named Farrow per 100,000 population also decreased slightly from 3.81 to 3.62.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,196 | #3,353 | -4.91% |
| Count | 10,282 | 10,672 | 3.79% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.81 | 3.62 | -4.99% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Farrow
The ethnicity associated with the surname Farrow spans across several groups, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. As of 2010, the majority (65.94%) identified as White, down 3.20% from 2000. Those identifying as Black represented 27.46%, a slight increase of 2.04% from 2000. The Hispanic community saw a significant jump of 60.15% in the usage of the surname, though they still only made up 2.13% of those with the surname. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native held the surname at a rate of 0.52% and 1.09% respectively. Interestingly, there was a noticeable increase of 42.08% in the number of people identifying as two or more races using the surname Farrow.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 68.12% | 65.94% | -3.2% |
| Black | 26.91% | 27.46% | 2.04% |
| Two or More Races | 2.02% | 2.87% | 42.08% |
| Hispanic | 1.33% | 2.13% | 60.15% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.12% | 1.09% | -2.68% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.5% | 0.52% | 4% |
Farrow ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Farrow is British & Irish, which comprises 52.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.7%) and Italian (3.8%). Additional ancestries include Nigerian, Scandinavian, Eastern European, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 52.1% |
| French & German | 20.7% |
| Italian | 3.8% |
| Other | 23.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Farrow
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Farrow have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 82.60% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 82.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 82.60% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 82.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 82.20% |
What Farrow haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Farrow is R-Z93, which is predominantly found among people with Central & South Asian ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z93 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and I-Z138, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Hoover, Douglass, Douglas, Seifert, Harvey, Sylvester, Bright, Hartman, Koehler, Thompson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Farrow surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Farrow have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Farrow" Surname 50.8%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Farrow" Surname 29.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Farrow" Surname 21.8%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Farrow" Surname 17.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Farrow?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Farrow are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition